Folded container or envelope



J. c. McALLlSTER 2,108,343

Feb. 15, 1938.

FOLDED CONTAINER OR ENVELOPE Filed Sept, 24, 1955 i I .1 I l 15 Patented Feb. 15, 1938 STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a folded container or envelope and has for its principal object, the provision of a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive foldable container or envelope that may be utilized as a receptacle for various articles of merchandise and wearing apparel as well as for containing face powder and powder puffs.

A further object of the invention is, to provide a foldable container which can be manufactured in quantities at small cost and which containers present a neat, finished and pleasing appearance, thereby enabling the containers to be utilized in making up gift packages and the like.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a container or envelope of the character referred to that is constructed and folded so that it will provide effective protection for the inserted article, thereby maintaining the same in a clean and sanitary condition.

The containers or envelopes may be made of any suitable material such as paper, light weight cardboard, fabric, cellophane or the like and the containers may be decorated or provided with ornamental designs to enhance their attractive- 5 ness when displayed for sale or while in use and also the containers may be made in various shapes and sizes to provide receptacles for various articles of merchandise such as tablecloths, napkins, doilies and the like and for various articles of wearing apparel such as handkerchiefs, hosiery, gloves or other similar articles or in fact any article that may be conveniently packaged or carried in an envelope-like container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the blank section of material that is utilized in forming the envelope or container.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the container withthe body thereof folded into position for use and with the flap of the container in open position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the container with the flap in folded position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevational views of envelopes or containers constructed in accordance with my invention and having different shapes.

24, 1935, Serial No. 41,884

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, in designates a substantially rectangular section of thin sheet material such as paper, light weight cardboard, cellophane, fabric or the like and which forms the body or envelope of the container when folded as hereinafter described.

The material from which the body is formed may be colored or decorated so as to present a pleasing and attractive appearance and formed integral with the upper edge of said body, midway between its side edges, is a flap II which may be of any desired shape, for instance, semi-circular as illustrated.

To produce the envelope or container from this one-piece section of material, the body In is folded along a medial line I2 that is parallel with the upper and lower edges of the body and thus the lower half upper half.

The two layers of material in the body to the left of the flap I I are now folded along the dotted lines designated by the numeral 13, which lines extend from the lefthand end of flap H to the lower edge of the body of sheet If; and these folded end portions, which constitute substantially rectangular flaps M, overlie the substantially rectangular wall or portion l5. located below the line of fold l2 and which overlies the corresponding rectangular portion It that is positioned between the flap H and the intermediate portion of the line of fold l2.

Those portions of the body It! on the righthand side thereof to the right of flap II and between the upper and lower edges of the body, constitute flaps H and the lower one of these flaps when folded along the line I2 overlies the upper flap. After the flaps id have been folded over and inwardly onto the portion l5, the flaps 11, one overlying the other, are folded along the lines designated by the numerals l8, which lines are parallel with the lines l3 and in making this fold those portions of the flaps I! that are adjacent the righthand edge of the body III, are inserted between the ends of the inwardly folded flaps l4, thus occupying the positions as illustrated in. Fig. 4 and providing a certain degree of interlocking engagement between the overlapping ends of the folded flaps.

Formed through the upper and lower outer corners of the flaps! l4 and I1, are pairs of spaced apertures 19 and when the lower portion of body I0 is folded over onto the upper portion along the line l2, the apertures in the lower of the body Ill overlies the Q corners of flaps l'l coincide with the apertures in the upper corners of said flaps.

When the flaps are folded inwardly with their inner portions overlapping each other as illustrated in Fig. 4, the members of the various pairs of apertures. register with each other and they also register with a pair of apertures 20 that are formed in the lower central portion of member I5.

A suitable decorative tie of ribbon, colored cord or the like is now inserted through the coinciding apertures and the ends of the said tie are brought together and tied on the exterior of the envelope.

In the event that it is desired to permanently secure the overlapping edges of the flaps to each other and to the body member I5, one or more clips or staples of wire may be inserted through the overlying layers of material.

If desired the overlapping portions of the flaps N and I! may be permanently secured to each other by a suitable. adhesive.

Thus a convenient container or envelope is formed with the portion l6 forming the front wall of the envelope, the portion IS the rear wall thereof and with the pairs of flaps overlying the rear wall with the inner portions of one pair of flaps interposed between the corresponding portions of the other pair.

Containers or envelopes constructed in accordance with my invention in the smaller sizes may be conveniently employed for holding face powder and powder puffs and the structure of the envelope is such that the powder cannot readily escape from the lower portion of the envelope, thus providing a powder container that may be conveniently carried in the purse or handbag.

and the goods being entirely covered are maintained in a sanitary condition inasmuch as they are protected against dust and against direct contact with the hands.

In some instances: the flap Il may be provided with a pair of apertures 22, as illustrated in Fig. 6, which apertures coincide with the other apertures in the envelope when the flap is folded and where such construction is employed, the tie 2| is brought through the apertures 22 and tied on the outer surface of the flap.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a foldable container or envelope that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form, and construction of the various parts of my improved foldable container or envelope may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A foldable container or envelope formed from a piece of sheet material substantially rectangular in shape and foldable along lines disposed at right angles to each other toform a. front wall member, a. rear wall member and end flaps at the sides of the front and rear wall members, said front and rear walls being identical in size, said end flaps being identical in size, and narrower than the front and rear wall members, the inner end portions of the flaps on one side of the container or envelope being positioned between the inner end portions of the other pair of flaps when the sheet of material is folded to form the container or envelope, a flap projecting from the upper edge of the front wall memher, there being pairs of apertures formed in the four corners of the sheet of material, there being a pair of apertures formed in the lower edge of the sheet of mam-rial at the center thereof, which pairs of apertures coincide with each other when the sheet is folded to form the envelope and a tie passing through said coinciding apertures to retain the envelope in folded condition.

JOHANNA C. MCALLISTER. 

